James A. Sasser ’55 of Titusville, Fla., died on March 17, 2006. He was a graduate of Davidson College and the Medical College of South Carolina. He trained in general surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Veterans Hospital in Miami, Fla., He practiced general surgery and medicine in the Titusville area for thirty-four years. Survivors include his wife, Lynn Sasser, 1691 Riverside Dr, Titusville, Fla. 32780-4729; children, James A. Sasser III ’82 and wife Lisa, Joy A. Ryan and husband Mark, Kim McDonagh and husband Padraig; and grandchildren, Elizabeth and Anna Sasser and Kaelyn McDonagh. He also is survived by his brothers, Phillip Sasser, Esq., ’57 and Drs. Marshall ’58 and Charles Sasser ’63.
Robert Holmes Jones ’55
Dr. Robert Holmes Jones ’55 of Macon, Ga., died November 26, 2005, at his residence. At Davidson, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He received his doctor of medicine degree from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, in 1959. After completing an internal medicine internship and residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, he completed an additional residency in gastroenterology at the V.A. Hospital in Miami. He then returned to Macon, starting a private practice in internal medicine and gastroenterology. He retired from the practice of medicine in 1997. He was a member of the Bibb County, Georgia, Southern and American Medical Associations; member and adjutant of the Gen. Edward Dorr Tracy, Jr. Camp #18 Sons of Confederate Veterans, Idle Hour Country Club, and served on the first board of trustees of First Presbyterian Day School. He was a former deacon and choir member of First Presbyterian Church. He moved his membership to North Macon Presbyterian Church in 1990. He held memberships in the Scottish Harp Society, the Morning Music Club, the Macon Opera Guild and was a former member of the board of the Macon Concert Association. Survivors include his wife, Kathryn Jarvis Jones, 285 Riverdale Dr., Macon, Ga. 31204; and four daughters and their families in Macon, Eleanor Jones and Mark Farriba, Amelia Jones Bradham, Elizabeth Jones and Dr. Rob Sumowski, Ann Jones and John Hart IV; and ten grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Samuel P. Jones ’66 (Denny) of Macon; a sister, Molly Jones of Atlanta; sister-in-law, Dallis J. Jones of Macon; brother-in-law, Judge James Jarvis (Gail) of Knoxville, Tenn.; and sister-in-law, Pam Jarvis Miller (Mike) of Maryville, Tenn.
William N. Gordon ’55
William N. Gordon ’55 of Greenville, N.C., died May 29, 2005. He was a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, Richmond. He held pastorates in Houston, Tex., Fairmont, N.C., and at Farmville Presbyterian Church, retiring in 1995. He continued to supply pulpits for New Hope Presbytery in Eastern North Carolina and was supplying Boyd Memorial Presbyterian Church near Greenville, N.C. From the beginning of his ministry and through the 1980s, he was actively involved with committee work of the Presbyterian Church, particularly in the Brazos, Fayetteville, and Albemarle presbyteries. He is survived by his wife of forty-seven years, Bettie Kersey Gordon, 38 Barnes St., Greenville, N.C. 27858; a daughter, Diana Gordon of Greenville; three sons, Neil Gordon of Greenville, Philip Gordon ’83 of Raleigh, N.C., and Stuart Gordon ’86 of Florence, S.C.; and two grandchildren, Drew and Will.
Horace Eugene Gray, Jr. ’55
Horace Eugene Gray, Jr. ‘Gene’
Mr. Gray died of a massive heart attack on April 21, 2005, at Mission St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. He had been spending time at Lake Junaluska where he was a summer resident for 34 years.
Mr. Gray was born on March 10, 1933, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the son of the late Horace E. Gray, Sr. and Marion Connor Gray. Mr. Gray grew up on Cottage Place and attended local schools before graduating from Davidson College in 1955. He was his class representative at Davidson for over a decade and was currently part of the steering committee planning his upcoming 50 year reunion. He was the retired owner and president of Charlotte Battery Company, Inc.
Mr. Gray was a long-time member of Myers Park United Methodist Church where he was currently serving on the Finance Committee and a member of the Wesley Sunday School class. He was also a long time member of Olde Providence Racquet Club where he concentrated on his favorite hobbies, tennis and photography.
Mr. Gray is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary Frances McCracken Gray. He is also survived by his three daughters, Mary Mac Gray Yon and her husband, Crandell Yon, Annie Gray, and Sally Gray Smith and her husband, Eric Smith, and his two grandsons, Griffin and Gray Smith, all of Charlotte.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, 2005, at Myers Park United Methodist Church with Dr. James C. Howell and Bishop Thomas B. Stockton officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service in Jubilee Hall.
Memorials may be made to Myers Park United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 6161, Charlotte, NC 28207, for flood relief in the western North Carolina mountains and the minister’s discretionary fund.
Harry & Bryant Company is serving the family of Mr. Gray.